


One Letter Off

by norcumi



Category: Dimension 20 (Web Series), Fantasy High
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Don’t copy to another site, Epilogue, GFY, Gen, Introspection, Season 1 Spoilers, no beta we die like meh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:27:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24860806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/norcumi/pseuds/norcumi
Summary: Sklonda takes a bit of time to herself after Prom to chew over a slightly different look at the prophecy.
Relationships: Pok Gukgak/Sklonda Gukgak, Riz Gukgak & Sklonda Gukgak
Comments: 9
Kudos: 54





	One Letter Off

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dharmaavocado](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dharmaavocado/gifts).



> For those that want a quick reference to the prophecy, [here's an image](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/fantasy-high/images/f/f2/Kalvaxusprophecy.png/revision/latest?cb=20200513084657) from the [wiki](https://dimension20.fandom.com/wiki/Dimension_20_Wiki).
> 
> Meanwhile, having not seen anything of season two, I apologize if anything is contradicted by current canon.
> 
> Also, blessings upon whoever took the time to transcribe the episodes for the wiki, because they are my hero. 
> 
> For those who are unfamiliar with Fantasy High but are here due to my usual shenanigans, have [a convenient link to the first episode](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zZxCVBi7-k)!

Dragon, as it turned out, had a smoky aftertaste. It blended strangely with the actual smoke and soot as Sklonda ducked past the yellow tape supposedly keeping the public at bay, working her way up the stairs. The Strongtower Luxury Apartments were still standing, if in worse shape than usual.

It didn’t take more than a glance to tell that the apartment itself was a full loss. They at least had minimal insurance through work – and more importantly, friends.

Also, the possibility that there was some kind of material reward for killing Kalvaxus, saving the world, all that jazz. She’d have to look that up; even the academy didn’t really drill too much on the really obscure legalities of dealing with murderous asshole dragons.

She drifted over to the safe room, leaning against the inside of the door. She and Pok had dumped most of their incomes into this back when they’d first moved in. Sure, it voided the security deposit, but no one ever got that back – and this had been worth it even before the fire. It’d been built to withstand a lot of weapon damage, a decent amount of magic, and, well, a moderate amount of fire. Its most important feature was being unscryable, but to Sklonda, over the years the ‘secret’ part had meant the most.

She sighed and went in, flopping into her chair and swiveling it so she could rest an elbow on the desk and look over at Pok’s. She’d always hated having to sit properly at a desk, which is why she’d claimed the corner while her husband had put his desk up against the far wall.

Always gave him more room to pace, too.

Gods, but she missed him. Sklonda swallowed down the lump trying to gather in her throat, sniffling until she couldn’t tell dragon aftertaste from fire damage again. She picked up the little picture frame she left on her desk, leaning against the chair’s arm and sighing.

“Hey, hon,” she said, voice soft though it was probably unnecessary. “It’s been a hell of a day.” She stared at Pok’s familiar features, allowing herself to feel the bitter curl of frustration and loss that it was getting harder and harder to remember the micro-expressions of his long, handsome face; how ridiculous he’d looked before that fancy pencil mustache had grown all the way in; exactly what noises he’d make late at night asleep next to her.

Five years was both very very long, and a blink of an eye.

“Actually, it’s been a hell of a day and change – those extra twelve hours – You know what? It’s been weird.”

Shit. Those tears were not going to stay away. Well, what the hell. Riz was off with his friends chasing down loose ends, she could indulge herself for once. “You would not believe what we did today, honey. Me and Riz – and his friends. He has friends now, an entire adventuring party and then some, and I am so, so proud of him.” Sklonda took a long, shuddering breath, trying to calm herself on the exhale. “He followed all the clues, found things I couldn’t possibly have gotten my hands on, and he and his friends found Kalvaxus.” She was crying, but she bared her teeth in a vicious, victorious smile.

“Don’t get me wrong, everyone there helped, but Riz _got him_. I wish you could’ve seen it. Bastard lunged for him, was right over him, and Riz teleported away, to the ceiling....” Oh, she’d been terrified at the time, somehow dredging up more hate and fear even though she’d thought being grabbed by Kalvaxus had used up all she had. Gorgug had snagged her, gotten her to the high ground, so she’d been at the right height to see her son appear, sword in hand, Pok’s piece holstered for easy access.

Then Riz had fallen, blade first and teeth bared, sword sinking deep into the dragon’s skull to spew shadows throughout his body. That last feeble taunt of ‘Nothing more than a ball’ burned away in the explosion that cast Riz’s shadow back, huge throughout the gym as a metaphor that made watery giggles want to escape her.

“Gravity’s a _bitch_.” She gave in to the giggles, in no small part because she’d already given in to the tears. “Riz goes ‘I don't know how long it's gonna take me, but I'm gonna eat you, bitch!’ and then just chows down, staring him right in the eye. We ate like half his head right there.” Her grin was even sharper than before. “Might’ve gone for more, but old Aguefort figured rezzing him and letting his captives get in their shot would be appropriate. The carnage was _amazing_.”

Sklonda just sat with those happy images for awhile, cuddling Pok’s photo closer. She finally sighed and pulled a scrap of paper from a pocket, taking a long look before shaking her head. “Did you know we’d all got caught up in a prophecy?” When the battle’s aftermath had quieted, Sklonda had sidled up to Adaine and asked to copy it. It looked a little silly on ruled notebook paper instead of some kind of fancy parchment, in her spiky scrawl.

> _When Kalvaxus once again beholds his glittering treasure_  
>  _And seven maidens are once more chained at the mouth of his lair_  
>  _When war befalls the realm_

“A lot of it is just that things had to go to shit first.” She wiped her face clear, sniffling a few more times. “War’s broken out again. All that work you did to keep things together, and he set up a heck of a set of no-win situations. Sneaky bastard, I’ll give him that.”

> _And a king and queen are crowned anew in Solace_  
>  _Then will the Emperor of the Red Waste be released from bondage_

“I don’t know what Aguefort was thinking, though. I mean, ok, forcing _Kalvaxus_ to have to deal with teenagers is some nice cruel and unusual punishment, but...those poor kids.”

She stared down at the prophecy, letting the words sink in until she was pretty sure she’d remember it. “A little clue, hon, just for you.” She folded the paper just enough to get it the right size, then popped the back off of the photo frame. Sklonda tucked it in behind Pok’s photo, replaced the back, then allowed a bit of time to just look at him.

She took a deep, bracing breath and tucked the photo into her bag. It was mindless work, clearing out the few items in the room, and so her thoughts wandered.

Adaine was right. Prophecy was bullshit. They were called prophets, after all, not charities. If you could claim to predict the future, then you’d want to be as vague as you could get away with, leave the interpretations up to others, and nod sagely and collect payment when someone ‘discovered’ the truth. Hell, Sklonda had seen it hundreds of times by now in the common con-man.

She was willing to wager an entire paycheck that whatever oracle had spouted off this stuff about Kalvaxus hadn’t written it down. You want an intermediary to take the fall for things being off, and it was clear that in this case: either someone hadn’t asked details, someone made assumptions, or someone couldn’t spell.

Sure, the prophecy had turned out to be true – all that weird nonsense aside with Sol that she was _not_ going to ask about, _ever_. 

The ‘how’ it’d come true, though – that made her heart swell. 

> _His destruction will know no bounds_

They’d devoured the front of Kalvaxus’ head. Eaten at least Pok’s weight in dragon, gotten back those pounds of flesh. Then thanks to Aguefort’s creepy but brilliant idea, Kalvaxus had been brought back to life, only to be absolutely _destroyed_ by the seven maidens he’d dared to use. You’d think someone who’d had that long to plot would’ve thought better than to use _adventurers_ as his pawns. That would never go well – and indeed, the slaughter of Kalvaxus had been beyond any lines of civility or theory. His destruction did indeed know no bounds or limits, no holds had been barred in tearing that asshole apart.

> _The sun shall fall from the heavens_

Riz – her amazing _son_ – had been just brilliant. Just like his dad, using Kalvaxus’s biases against him. All he’d seen was ‘The Ball’, someone weak, and small, and nothing more than a target. Riz had lured him in, then let gravity bring every last bit of his weight and momentum to bear, and he had _broken_ the dragon.

> _And the world as we know it shall perish forever._

Sklonda stepped out of the safe room, looking around the burned remains of the home she and Pok had once made. It was gone – Pok was gone – and she had come to terms with change five years before. The present always died to become the past. Change happened all the time. Sure, this was a bigger change than normal, but that happened too.

Riz had grown so much – in the time since Pok’s death, and also just in this last year. They had new friends, what probably counted as extended family. This mess with Kalvaxus had started a war, had overturned several institutions including the Adventuring Academy and the police department.

Of course things were going to be very different now – that’s just how life worked. 

Sklonda Gukgak strode out of the destroyed Strongtower Luxury Apartments, ready and eager to see what new adventures rose from the ashes of the past. 

**Author's Note:**

> I might have watched the finale at absurdly ~~early in the morning~~ late at night, and when the prophecy was read the second time, I just about levitated out of my chair because I spotted this interpretation and I _could not believe_ they had just gone and done that. Then they didn't go there, which is totally cool, but I was very confused how this sort of fic didn't exist yet.
> 
> Thanks, Dharma.


End file.
